What are you grateful for in your theatre world this year?

Photo: Vanderbilt University

The last 18 months have been a fascinating experience for theatremakers. I remember the long hours in the editing bay, holding Zoom rehearsals telling folks “you’re muted!” and hearing self-proclaimed ‘virtual theatre objectors’ crying “it’s not the same!” every time I announced a new online project. Of course, virtual theatre wasn’t the same as in-person performance. But we did our best with the options we had. 

It wasn’t very long ago that we wanted nothing more than to share a room with other artists. Just a few months ago we viewed the thought of building a chord around a piano as a paradise compared to building a chord via rehearsal tracks, self-taping, & editing. Or worse yet, some of us weren’t able to build a chord at all. It felt like we would never make it through. Well, we did make it. While COVID certainly isn’t over, masks, vaccines, and other precautions have allowed many of us to reenter the room together. Now what? 

Now we’re back into the grind. We can once again see the logistical challenges of putting up a full-scale show, the pressure to sell tickets, the exhaustion at the end of a long tech rehearsal.  We now have the added pressures of COVID-related challenges and collaborating with folks who haven’t experienced the expectations of a full-scale production in over a year. Many of our budgets are smaller than they have been in the past after a huge number of companies were dark last year. It’s hard. Sometimes it hurts. It’s often a struggle. But it’s vital that we remember why we do this and why we were so eager to get back to this place just a few months ago. 

This Thanksgiving season, I encourage you to find gratitude within the grind. Remember why we missed these rehearsal rooms so much when we weren’t allowed to be in them. Remember the passion that led us to the theatre in the first place.

As a director, I am so thankful for the ability to physically show someone where I want them to stand and at what angle. I cherish the ability for my actors to connect to each other face to face. I’m grateful to hear performers gather around a piano and sing.

The feeling of being in a room with performers and technicians, all working towards the same goal, is one of a kind. I do my best to savor every minute I have in the room, out of respect for the “me” who wanted nothing but to be together in the not too distant past. I also work hard to have patience with those with whom I work as we transition back into this sacred institution we were forced to spend time away from.

Live theatre is like magic and it is so gratifying to collaborate in person with other artists to be a part of that magic. What are you grateful for in your theatre world this year?